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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. field — farmland
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. board — a committee
  9. field — a subject
  10. dip — to sink
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. field — for sport
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pit — a hole
  18. board — to get on
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. cell — a phone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com